


forever is just one of those things

by hhhhhhhappycow



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: A few OC first and second years but only briefly, But mostly friendship and fluff, F/M, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Mentioned Bokuto Koutarou, Mentioned Fukunaga Shouhei - Freeform, Mentioned Haiba Lev, Mentioned Kuroo Tetsurou, Nishinoya Yuu & Tanaka Ryuunosuke are Bros, Post-Time Skip, Some Mild Angst, Tsukishima's appalling choice in beverages, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, Yes that needs to be tagged
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:13:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,312
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25228120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hhhhhhhappycow/pseuds/hhhhhhhappycow
Summary: Various snippets from the lives of the Karasuno team as, at Tanaka and Kiyoko's wedding, they reflect on their friendships and the way their lives have changed over the past few years.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Ennoshita Chikara & Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio & Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi, Hinata Shouyou & Karasuno Volleyball Club, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kageyama Tobio & Yachi Hitoka, Minor/Implied Yamamoto Taketora/Fukunaga Shouhei, Nishinoya Yuu & Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko & Yachi Hitoka, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tanaka Saeko/Tsukishima Akiteru, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 16
Kudos: 157





	forever is just one of those things

“Oh god, what am I doing? What am I doing, what am I doing, what am I doing?”

Chikara quirks an eyebrow at Tanaka. “Erm… Getting married?”

The soon-to-be groom leans forward and rests his head in his hands. “I can’t do this. I’m gonna puke.”

Narita jokes; “What, is he Hinata?”

Chikara shoots his friend a warning look. Now is not the time for humor. Not ten minutes before Tanaka is due to be getting married to Kiyoko.

“Where’s Noya?”, he asks, looking back and forth between Narita and Kinoshita.

The two of them exchange glances and then shrug.

“I haven’t heard anything from Asahi yet”, Kinoshita explains. His hair is sticking up from where he’s been running his hand through it, and Chikara makes a mental note to smooth it back down before they have to go to the alter, if Narita doesn’t beat him to it first.

“When he’s here, I’m sure we’ll know”, puts in Narita.

Exhaling long and low, Chikara turns back to his despairing friend and attempts to affect a relaxed, carefree mood. “Tanaka, look. What’s got you so upset?”

There is a moment of silence, as it seems Tanaka himself is attempting to work it out. His fingers clutch at the pants of his suit. Chikara internally debates what they will do if Tanaka passes out, here in the tiny cramped side room of the chapel.

Eventually, he mumbles; “I’m going to mess up and ruin everything, and Kiyoko is going to realize she’s too good for me.”

“She hasn’t realized it yet”, Kinoshita mutters, and Chikara silently praises Narita when Narita hits him in the arm.

The space beside Tanaka is cramped, but Chikara hunkers down beside his former vice-captain, squeezing into the gap. His mind races as he speaks, for a split second wondering if this is what Akaashi feels like when he's trying to talk Bokuto out of one of his moods. "He’s right, though. You haven’t messed up so far. And even if you do, Kiyoko knows you. She’s marrying you. And even if you did mess up, what, do you think she’d turn around and change her mind?”

“… Maybe.”

This time, Chikara is the one doing the slapping. “No.”

Tanaka sits still for a long moment, breathing ragged, and then asks, “Is Noya still not here?”

“His flight came in nearly two hours ago, so he should be here any minute.” Tanaka groans at that, and Chikara understands: What was taking him so long? “Do I need to bring your sister in here?”

“No.”

Silence creeps in like a cloud of thick smog, engulfing them. Tanaka’s hands are still shaking, and Chikara's brain whirs, his old captain instincts coming back to him: Now he knows the problem, and he knows the solution will most likely come in the form of Nishinoya. But what to do until then?

After a moment, Kinoshita says; “You know, back in high school, I would never have thought you’d be acting like this, Tanaka.”

He speaks quietly, and when Chikara looks over, he has drawn his suit jacket further around himself, like he often does with the cardigans he frequently wears.

Narita places a hand on his shoulder. “I would never expect us all to be here, after all these years. Especially after how we all first met.” They all look at him. “What I mean is, I never expected to stay friends- or even be friends- with you guys.”

“I never expected to marry Kiyoko.” Tanaka sounds calmer now, and Chikara pats his arm.

The sound of footsteps thundering down the hall has them all pivoting their heads in unison.

“The best man is finally here!”

A few things happen within a few seconds of each other, while Nishinoya announces his own entrance.

The first is that Tanaka leaps to his feet, his fists clenched but his face excited, verging on hopeful.

The next is that Noya himself appears in the doorway, already in his suit- which did hang a little loosely, Chikara noted, which made sense considering he hadn’t been able to join the others for the fitting- and immediately trips over his own feet.

And then Asahi is also there, following him and gripping his arm.

“I told you not to run”, he scolds lightly, but he is smiling. Chikara figures he must have been too happy at Noya’s return to care about much else.

Nishinoya laughs as he leans on Asahi’s grasp, steadying himself.

“Well, Noya always knew how to make an entrance”, Kinoshita says, half to himself.

The best man tears himself away from Asahi to pull Tanaka into a back-breaking hug, before moving on to the others. Chikara sighs in relief as he feels that his friend was really here, that they could finally begin.

Having made his way around the room, Noya pulls back to stand in the center with his hands on his hips.

“Sorry we’re late”, Asahi apologizes, meeting Chikara's questioning gaze.

“I had to get changed in the car, that flight was awful, Ryu, I probably smell really bad. Asahi even offered to take me home first so I could shower, but I said nope, can’t miss my best friend’s wedding.” Nishinoya grins. “So, are you ready to get married?”

Tanaka groans again, and Chikara's heart plummets into his stomach.

Face faltering slightly, Noya asks; “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!”

“No, come on, Ryu, something’s up. Are you getting down about Kiyoko again? I thought we talked about this.”

Tanaka shakes his head, frowning as he backs into the small enclave he had sat in previously. Noya steps in time with him, moving forward to crowd into his space. “A little.”

“Look, you and Kiyoko deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be happy together. I’ve always said that, since you first told me.”

“I know.”

Noya rests a hand on his shoulder, carefully against his suit. “She’s waiting for you.”

That seems to perk Tanaka up. Chikara watches as his resolute face comes back into view, the same determined expression he has come to rely on in tough games appearing.

“Let’s do this!”, he yells.

“Yeah!” Nishinoya pumps his fist.

The two of them give wordless shouts, high five each other, and dash out of the room.

The four remaining inside look at each other.

“Well, that was quick”, says Narita. His eyes are owlishly wide.

Asahi smiles a soft smile, one appropriate for the building that they currently stood in. “I’ll go find the others.”

Chikara huffs. “I’d better go wrangle those two before they run into the cake or something.”

*

“You’re going to what?”, Chikara blurts out, his coffee long-forgotten.

“Propose.” Tanaka shakes his head and buries his face in his hands for a moment before looking back up. “It’s a bad idea, isn’t it? I knew it was a bad idea.”

The café around them bustles with life, and nobody so much as glances in their direction. There is the clink of cups and bubbling of chatter and Tanaka’s groans are lost in the humdrum of noise, riding under the surface of the crescendo.

Moments ago, they had been part of that inane everyday symphony. The two of them had met to catch up on life in general and some work-related business in particular: Tanaka had recently referred one of the men he trained to Chikara because of a strain in his shoulder, and wanted to check in on how he was doing. But then Tanaka had dropped that bombshell, and the world had been thrown out of synch.

Still stunned, Chikara mutters; “I’m not saying it’s a bad idea. Sorry, it’s just a surprise.”

“Ohhh, a surprise is bad.” He slumps down, arms resting on the table between them.

“Have you talked before?”, asks Chikara, attempting to distract the other man from his sudden anguish. “About getting married?”

Tanaka frowns. “A couple of times. I mean, it was kind of theoretical, but we’ve both said we want to.”

“Hm. You guys have been together for a couple of years now.”

There is a small crease between his friend’s eyes. “Do you think that’s long enough?”

“I don’t think there’s such a thing as long enough”, Chikara says, and he means it. “Some people who want to get married might be ready after just several months, for some it might not be for several years. If both you and Kiyoko want to, then go for it.” He shrugs, a short, sharp movement. “You can only ask her.”

Tanaka gives him a small, relieved smile, and it stuns Chikara to realize just how much Tanaka values his opinion. He knows that Tanaka values him as a friend, of course; especially in their third year, Chikara had tried to give him advice and maintain a positive working relationship. But it is still surprising, and even more so that it has lasted. 

“So”, Chikara laces his hands together, “when are you going to do it?”

“In about forty minutes. Noya is over at ours distracting her right now.”

Chikara's smile slips. “What?”

*

“So, do you think Tanaka is freaking out right now?”

“Probably.”

Kiyoko smiles: A small, not quite real smile.

“How are you feeling?”, questions Hitoka. She shuffles uncomfortably in her dress.

“Good. Nervous, but good.” Kiyoko smiles, an authentic one now. Her painted lips turned up, breaking the image of the immaculately painted goddess. “As long as Ryuu and I are together, that’s all that really matters, right?”

Hitoka raises her glass and Kiyoko clinks her own against it. They had decided to have one drink, just to calm their nerves: Or, rather, Hitoka's nerves. She has been shaking all morning.

She stares down at her own hands, and then at Kiyoko’s, at the spot where the ring will go. Hitoka herself is nowhere near to getting married herself- not even dating anyone- and yet she found herself wondering whether, when she did, _if_ she did, she would manage to control her nerves. It is Kiyoko and Tanaka getting married and she feels so scared just being part of the ceremony that she thinks she might puke.

“Yachi…” Kiyoko’s voice draws her out from inside her own head. “I just wanted to say, before we go out there… Thank you, for doing this. I never really had that many female friends, not close ones anyway. But I’m so glad the really close friend I made is a good one.”

“Me too. I mean, I’m glad too. You know, when I first met you, I was kind of intimidated by you. By how beautiful you are, I mean.”

“Yes, Ryuu said the same thing.” Kiyoko shrugs, her whole dress billowing with the movement. “I don’t really get it, so I try not to dwell on it.” She fixes Hitoka with a piercing stare. “Besides, you’d be intimidated by anyone. You were intimidated by _Yamaguchi_ when you first met him.”

Hitoka snorts a giggle. “Hm. What I’m trying to say is, you have a beautiful soul too. I was so scared and nervous and just this tiny skinny little kid with a cluttered brain who got in everyone’s way, and you were so patient with me. You were really kind.”

Taking another sip of her drink, Kiyoko reaches over and pats Hitoka's hand. “Thank you, for staying my friend through these years. Even after I graduated.”

“Thank you for letting me be your friend”, she whispers in return.

There is a crash and then Saeko is there in all her glory, looking slightly uncomfortable in the bridesmaid dress Kiyoko has chosen. Hitoka can sympathise. 

She grins at Kiyoko devilishly. “Yo, you ready to join my family?” Pausing, she notices the bottle that Kiyoko and Htoka have been sifting from. “Ooh, champagne.”

Saeko plucks the whole bottle from the table and takes a swig. Kiyoko and Hitoka exchange amused glances.

When Kiyoko’s mother appears, Saeko swiftly wipes the lip of the bottle and sets it back down.

Barely noticing the indiscretion with the bottle, Kiyoko’s mother breezes straight past to her daughter, tucking her few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “Oh, my Kiyoko, you look so beautiful.”

Kiyoko allows her mother to fuss over her for a minute before she ducks away.

“Are we all ready?” The bride catches Hitoka's eye, and Hitoka grips her bouquet as though it were an automatic weapon.

“Ready.”

“Cool.” Saeko gives an affirmative nod. “I’ll go and let everyone know.”

*

“Are you sure it’s not a date?”, Nishinoya asks, for what feels like the hundredth time.

“Yes”, Kiyoko scolds him. “It isn’t a date, they’ve already said. Kageyama invited Yachi as a friend, correct?” She raises an eyebrow in the younger woman’s direction.

Hitoka nods. “Yep.” She is almost done with her makeup, working with the pallet that Tanaka is currently holding open in front of her.

The only reason Kagyama had inviting her as his plus one to the team event, he had told her over the phone when he had asked, was that he didn’t really know any other girls.

“You know Kiyoko”, Hitoka had pointed out, “and Noriko.” She almost wanted to laugh at the idea of their old first-year manager being invited to a Schweiden Adlers event.

“Noriko is still in high school”, said Kageyama. “It’d look weird if I showed up with her.”

“Fair point.”

So, she had agreed.

“Then how come you look so nervous?”, Nishinoya asks, bouncing about where Htoka, Tanaka, and Kiyoko are all seated on Kiyoko and Tanaka’s bed.

Htoka feels Kiyoko’s hands working through her hair, weaving it into the braid she has requested, and she blinks gratefully that Kiyoko is gentle: Her hair can be coarse, sometimes.

“I haven’t been surrounded by big, scary guys like this since high school.” And the higher up you went in terms of volleyball, the bigger and scarier the guys were likely to be. Hitoka, on the other hand, had remained as threatening as a marshmallow. She shudders at memories of barbecues and images of smores.

“I thought you’d gotten used to it”, Kiyoko hums, somewhere behind her head.

“I have, but… Going to meet Kageyama’s teammates is scary.”

“If any of them are rude to you, I’ll beat them up”, says Tanaka. He almost jostles the makeup palette and mutters an apology as he steadies his hands, even though Htoka is not currently using it.

“You’ll be with Kageyama, too, don’t forget”, a voice rings out from the doorway, and even without turning her head through fear of disrupting Kiyoko’s skillful weaving, Hitoka knows who it is. Sugawara. “The two of you will have each other’s backs.”

“Yeah, I could end up protecting him”, Hitoka mumbles, and laughter ripples through the group.

Hitoka had not intended to get ready at Kiyoko and Tanaka’s place, and she had not known that Sugawara and Nishinoya would also be here, hanging out while Daichi is working. Originally, she was just going to get dressed at home, but then Kiyoko had offered to help her with her hair, and Yamaguchi and Tsukishima had been trying to study so she thought she had better make herself scarce around their shared apartment.

“All done”, Kiyoko announces a few minutes later.

“Good timing”, Hitoka hums in reply, as she set the last of her makeup brushes down. She hasn’t gone over the top, but she did want to make a good impression. If nothing else, she is a perfectionist, especially when it comes to coloring.

“You look lovely, Yachi”, Nishinoya enthuses, raising a hand. It takes her a moment to realize he is waiting for a high five, and a few more seconds before she complies. Tanaka snickers.

“Thank you.” She nods both to Nishinoya, and then to Kiyoko and Tanaka. Their faces melt into identical smiles that have her blushing. 

Sugawara tilts his head at her from the doorway. “Did you want food before you go? Or are you eating there?”

“What have you been cooking in my house, Suga?”, asks Tanaka.

“Just some pasta. Don’t worry, I made enough for you, too.”

Tanaka opens his mouth to say something, only for a knock to sound at the door.

“I’ll get it.” Kiyoko stands, clenching and unclenching her fingers. “It’s probably Kageyama.”

“No! Wait!” Sugawara dashes down the stairs before she can even reach the landing at the top. Hitoka and Kiyoko exchange a glance before trailing after him and crowding in behind the front door.

When Sugawara opens it, they see that it is indeed the dark-haired athlete on the doorstep.

“So… You have come to ask for my daughter’s hand.”

Kageyama scowls at him. “I’m just here to pick up Yachi.”

“I want her home by seven.”

“We’re literally just going to meet up with some of the guys. It’s kind of formal, but not very official. A lot of them are bringing friends, too. It’s not a big deal.”

Hitoka makes to step around Sugawara, but the man crosses his arms and draws himself up to his full height, blocking his path. “Well, I still want her home early.”

“Suga, Yachi is going straight home after, not back here”, Kiyoko points out quietly. “And you said you were going to meet up with Daichi when his shift was finished.”

Sugawara sniffs. “Still.”

Ducking under his arm, Hitoka steps outside and winces as a cold gust of wind blows at her dress and hair. Not waiting for Kageyama, she hurries towards the car, waving at the others. Sugawara finally breaks character and waves back.

A loud yell gives her pause.

Tanaka is racing along the driveway towards her.

“Yachi!”, he gasps out again, skidding to a stop just in front of her. She peers up at him curiously.

Without warning, he flings both arms around her, gripping her tightly, and then releases her just as suddenly, before holding up a small object that glinted in one hand. His eyes match, shining in the late afternoon sun.

“From me and Kiyoko”, he explains. He fastens the flower clip- one of Kiyoko’s- into her hair. “You have fun, okay?”

Mutely, she nods and swallows around the lump in her throat.

“I will. Thank you.”

In the car, Hitoka settles in amongst the seats. It's warm in there, largely because they're out of the unforgiving wind.

She waves to the others as they pull out of the driveway.

“Thank you for coming with me.”

Kageyama speaks quietly, and she turns to look at him, catching his profile as he stares straight ahead at the road.

For the first time, she notices the way he bites his lip, the way his fingers tighten around the steering wheel.

He's scared.

Hitoka blinks.

She knows that Kageyama isn't always the best with social situations, but she had thought that, when it came to volleyball at least, he would do okay. But, thinking about it, spending time with his teammates outside of the court is an entirely different game. He must be so nervous; in hindsight, perhaps that was why he had invited her.

So Hitoka simply smiles and replies; “It’s not a problem. Thank you, again, for inviting me.”

Kageyama merely nods, and they don't speak again until they arrive.

*

Tobio hadn’t given much thought as to who would be attending the wedding.

Of course, he knows his old friends would be here. He is sure they are out there somewhere, in this sea of people. Only there are also family members and friends and colleagues, all the people he didn’t know. He hadn’t quite pictured that.

He found himself wishing that Hinata was here with him. If he was, he would surely push through the crowd, determined, until they located their friends. Or perhaps even drag Tobio into a conversation with a stranger, deciding to make new friends.

But, of course, Hinata is on the other side of the world, and Tobio is here, hovering alone at the back of the chapel as the last few guests filtered in through the doors. It is making him jumpy, all of the dark suits and formal clothing: The last time he dressed like this was probably his grandfather’s funeral.

He scans the room for anybody he recognized. He thinks he spots a cousin of Tanaka’s that Tanaka had introduced him to once, since she was apparently a volleyball fan, with her husband and kids. It seems like they are deep in conversation: It would be too awkward to just walk over and insert himself into the discussion. There is no sign of Tsukishima’s blond locks or Yamaguchi’s freckled face. He decides there is no point looking for Yachi; he is unlikely to spot her, at her height.

Somebody is speaking to him.

Tobio jumps, blinking rapidly. The person- a young man, perhaps a few years older than him- is staring at him expectantly. He thinks that they might be part of Kiyoko’s family; something in the face shape and silky black hair is familiar.

The man’s smile falters slightly, and he repeats; “Are you with the bride or the groom’s family?”

“No, I’m just a friend”, Tobio says, and then adds; “To both of them.”

The man looks at him, somewhat strangely, before nodding, the same polite smile plastered on his face. After a moment in which neither of them speak, he moves on to join a small group standing nearby.

Tobio tries not to panic. Perhaps he should message someone, in case they are running late or just haven’t spotted him yet.

Retrieving his phone from his pocket, he finds a barrage of messages from the one person who couldn’t be in the room. Hinata.

**Hey, Kageyama! How’s it going?**

**Has the ceremony started yet?**

**Take lots of pictures for me!**

**Call me when the ceremony is over! I want to talk to everyone!**

He stares at the screen for a long time.

If anything, Hinata is the one who should have been here, laughing and surrounded by their friends, while Tobio was off playing in some league abroad, promising to call after the ceremony was over to congratulate the happy couple. It almost seemed unfair that it was the other way around, like Tobio was stealing it away from Hinata.

But Hinata was the one who had left, and Tobio was still here.

His thumb hovers over the keyboard while his brain attempts to formulate a response.

A voice calls; “Kageyama! Kageyama, over here!”

His head jerks up. He knows that voice: Sugawara.

The crowd seems to clear, almost as though Suga’s words have forced them apart, and Tobio catches the former setter beckoning him over to where he is standing in a group with Daichi, Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, and a man that it takes Tobio a moment to recognize as Tsukishima’s older brother, Akiteru.

“Hey.” He puts his phone back in his pocket and gives them a small wave as he goes to join them.

“Hey, you”, Sugawara reaches out, and Tobio braces himself for the punch in the arm that usually punctuates Suga’s greetings. Once it is over, Suga looks him up and down and begins to laugh.

Tobio stares at him, slightly uncomfortable. “What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in a suit before. You look handsome.”

“He looks awkward”, Tsukishima snorts.

Yamaguchi says; “Tsukki”, at the same time as Akiteru says; “Kei.”

The two of them grin at each other.

Tsukishima frowns. “Stop.”

“I wonder how Tanaka and Kiyoko are holding up now”, Daichi muses, and Tobio glances at him. He appears tired, as though he's been running his hand across his face, although his eyes are bright.

“Do you think one of them will cry?”, asks Yamaguchi.

“I know I’m going to.” Sugawara laughs and wipes at one eye. “It’s already making me emotional seeing everyone. I’ve missed you.”

Daichi grins. “Aw, is spending time with adults again that overwhelming?”

Frowning, Suga elbows him.

Tobio finds himself relaxing slightly. These are his friends, after all. The thought that he is home occurs to him for the first time since he had stepped off the train the previous evening.

He nearly leaps out of his skin when a large figure looms beside them without speaking, and then Sugawara and Daichi are both laughing.

“Asahi!”, Suga cries.

The man raises both arms in a peaceable gesture that makes Tobio recall why they used to say he looked like Jesus back in high school. The only thing off is the suit and glasses that he now was wearing.

“So Noya made it alright, then?”, Daichi asks, running one hand through his cropped hair, and it looks like Tobio was right about that one. 

“Yeah, I picked him up. He had to get changed in the car to get here on time, though.”

“It’s a shame Hinata couldn’t make it too”, Yamaguchi comments. “It would have been fun to have the whole gang back together.”

“Ah, that must be why Kageyama is looking so sour.”

Tobio wheels his head around to stare at Tsukishima. “What?”

The blond man is smirking slightly, and just that familiar expression is enough to raise Tobio's temperature a few degrees. “You’re moping because the other half of your whole idiot isn’t here.”

“Tsukishima”, Daichi cautions. “Not at the wedding.”

“Sorry.”

“Hinata actually messaged me just now”, Tobio remarks, because he is unsure what else to say that won't lead to an argument and Daichi’s disappointment.

“Oh? What about?”, Asahi asks.

“He wants me to tell him how the wedding goes.”

“Don’t text him during the service”, Suga scolds pre-emptively. 

“I wasn’t going to!”

Another familiar voice- one that nevertheless strikes terror into Tobio's heart, as memories of perilous journeys to Tokyo fill his mind- rings out. “Hey, guys!”

Standing at the edge of their group, unusually dressed up in her bridesmaid’s outfit, is Saeko.

They each smile and greet her, and Akiteru especially is blushing. Tobio tries not to smile at the disgusted face Tsukishima makes.

“I just came to say that… We’re ready to begin!”, Saeko yells like a foghorn, once the greetings are out of the way. “Everyone, take your seats.”

A ripple of laughter trails after her as she pushes through the crowd and to the back of the chapel.

The group exchange glances.

“Well, then”, says Daichi. "We’d best take our seats.”

They file in together. Tobio somehow ends up seated in the center of the pew. Akiteru sits at the end of the row, with Tsukishima wedged between his brother and Yamaguchi, seated to Tobio's left. Sugawara, Daichi, and Asahi are to his right.

As they sit down, Sugawara squeezes his shoulder and turns a reassuring smile on him, and Tobio relaxes once more. He is here for Tanaka and Kiyoko, his friends. Tanaka had been one of the first people to welcome him to the team, and Kiyoko is one of the few who never judged him or commented on his old nickname.

Yes, he thinks, glancing to either side, he is with friends.

*

Kei groans.

When Yamaguchi doesn't look at him, he mutters; “He’s going to make jokes.”

Finally, Yamaguchi glances in his direction. “Who, Tanaka?” He laughs. “Of course he is.”

“He keeps calling me ‘brother in law’. Akiteru even said they don’t want to get married. They’ve only been dating for a month!”

“I know.” Yamaguchi sighs sympathetically as they pulled up to the house, then grins a mischievous grin. “Well, come on.”

Kei groans once more. He has invited Yamaguchi to family dinner for a number of reasons- the fact that, when Yamaguchi had invited himself over, Kei thought it would be funny; because he didn’t have the heart to tell him no; because he didn’t want to be a fifth wheel- and one of those is that he thought Yamaguchi would commiserate with him for his misfortunes.

It appears he is mistaken.

Kei opens the door with his spare key, and they step straight through into the dining room.

Akiteru, Saeko, Tanaka, and Kiyoko are already gathered inside, seated around the long wooden table. Tanaka and Saeko have identical shit-eating grins, and Kei almost turns and walks away right then and there. Kiyoko looks impassive. Akiteru, at least, has the decency to look a little embarrassed.

“Hey”, Kei says casually, in response to the chorus of greetings he receives.

“Hi!” Yamaguchi waves.

Saeko wrinkles her nose. “Wait, what’s he doing here?”

Yamaguchi grins. “I’m the third Tsukishima brother, don’t you know?”

“So you’re finally joining the family, huh?” Tanaka raises an eyebrow at Kei, who chooses to look away and ignore him. Tanaka is always getting involved in things that don't concern him.

Akiteru pats the empty seat beside him. “Tadashi, you can sit next to me.”

“Thanks.”

Kei glares as he watches his own brother betraying him. He quickly takes the seat between Yamaguchi and Kiyoko, at the end of the table, facing the woman who is now his brother’s significant other.

“So…” Yamaguchi looks up and down the table. “Where’s the food?”

Akiteru rubs at the back of his head. “Ah. That’s the thing…”

“Saeko didn’t set it on fire again?”, Kei asks in disbelief.

“Hey!” She points across the table at him. “That was one time, you little…”

But she is smiling at him, and Kei can't help but smirk back.

“No, it was actually my fault. I dropped it”, Akiteru explains.

“Akiteru!” Tanaka bursts out laughing, and Kiyoko giggles a little.

“Sorry! We’ve ordered food, if that’s okay.”

“Ah, of course. What kind?”

“Pizza.”

Yamaguchi whoops, and then ducks his head in embarrassment when he catches Kei's amused expression.

Once they have settled in, talk turns to college courses and work, and the usual stories are exchanged.

“It’s a shame the third Tanaka sibling isn’t also joining us today”, Akiteru comments lightly. His face is brighter and healthier than Kei can remember it, probably since they were children, and he begrudgingly admits, just to himself, that perhaps Saeko is good for his brother.

Tanaka plays idly with the half-empty glass on the table in front of him. “Nah, he’s off traveling right now.”

Yamaguchi tilts his head. “Isn’t he in South America now?”

“Yeah. Apparently, he was going to go to one of Oikawa Tooru’s matches.”

“Oh no.” Kiyoko covers her face with one hand.

“He wanted to challenge him. I talked him out of it.”

Well, that is Nishinoya all over. Kei admittedly hasn’t spoken to him much since he graduated, and he sort of regretted that now. Although he and Nishinoya are fairly different in terms of personality he had, in a way, always admired the shorter boy’s enthusiasm and dedication to embarrassing some of the best players they ever faced.

By the time the food arrives, Yamaguchi is halfway through telling the story of when Nishinoya had come back to visit his former teammates, a few months prior, with some gifts from Australia, including a bright orange shirt for Kei with what he thought was a dinosaur but was actually a Digimon character on it.

Kei is kind of grateful when he is cut off before he can make it to that part, and even more grateful that he didn’t get the chance to mention that Kei still wears the shirt at night sometimes.

“Who’s hungry?”, Saeko demands as she charges past, pizza boxes stacked in her arms.

“Do you want a hand with it, Saeko?”, Kiyoko calls after her.

“Nah, you sit yourself down, I’ve got this.”

She vanishes into the kitchen and reappears minutes later with plates and napkins, and then again with the pizzas.

“Did you get fries, too?”, Yamaguchi asks hopefully. He is facing away from Kei, towards Akiteru, but Kei can all too easily imagine the pleading expression he is wearing.

“Of course.”

Kei swiftly spies the bag labeled 'fries' and helps himself to the crispy ones on top before tossing the rest of the bag to his roommate. Yamaguchi hums in pleasure.

“Thanks, Tsukki”, he manages between mouthfuls.

Tanaka snickers.

“What?”, Kei looks at him, vaguely irritated by what he already knows is going to be a dumb comment.

“Nothing.” He shakes his head. “It’s just, I swear Yamaguchi looked at me like that one time. Back in your first year. When he told me bald guys could be hot, too. Yamaguchi, did you have a crush on me?”

Yamaguchi chokes on his fries. “No, I was trying to be nice!”

“Sure”, Tanaka retorts from around a slice of pizza.

Ducking his head, Kei chews once, twice, swallows. Tanaka is surely aware of the implications of what he has said; only, it isn't exactly news to anybody here, least of all him.

“He was right, though”, Kiyoko says quietly. She reddens when the rest of the group turn to look at her, before mumbling as an explanation; “Bald guys can be hot.”

Kei wrinkles his nose in disgust.

Kiyoko hides her face, giggling, while Saeko roars with laughter and leans over to pound her on the back.

“It’s okay, Kiyoko, you’ll get there one day.”

Kei can hear Yamaguchi’s laughter and Akiteru’s mingling together, and he can also practically hear Tanaka’s silence. He doesn't even dare look to see the man’s reaction.

*

Koushi did cry during the ceremony.

Twice, in fact.

He had assumed he was done once Kiyoko and Tanaka had said their vowels, the two of them talking about how much they meant to each other and how they fell in love. He had even stolen Asahi’s hankie to wipe his nose.

Only, when they were announced as husband and wife, and they turned to beam out at their friends in the crowd… Seeing them so happy, Koushi had lost it again.

By the time they make it to the reception, he has mostly calmed down and is biting back retorts against his friends’ teasing. They are all stood in a loose group talking, not far from the bar: The dancing hasn’t really gotten going yet, but Koushi is sure that after a couple of drinks the floor would be full. He has already spotted a couple of aunts eyeing Daichi, and he frowns and tucks himself closer to Daichi's side, earning an amused huff.

Tanaka and Kiyoko, when they finally appear, don't head towards them right away: They migrate from group to group, thanking family and friends alike and handing out hugs, before they eventually meet their old team.

“Hello”, Tanaka says softly as they walk up to join them.

“Hey, Mr. and Mrs Tanaka”, Daichi greets, before pulling Kiyoko into an enthusiastic hug. Koushi does the same with Tanaka, and then the newlyweds make their way about the group. Koushi tries not to laugh as they pull Kageyama into an awkward three-way cuddle, and then feels himself welling up again as Tsukishima actually initiates a hug with Tanaka.

“Thank you so much for coming”, Kiyoko says as she squeezes Yachi’s hand. Her face is soft but her eyes glisten, and when she catches Koushi's gaze she smiles slightly and shakes her head: A look that Koushi knows means, _Do not cry or I will be joining you_.

“We’re happy to be here”, says Daichi. “Congratulations, guys.”

Koushi whoops and Yamaguchi joins in.

“Where are your groomsmen?”, Asahi asks, peering about the dancefloor.

Tanaka shakes his head. “They wanted to help set up the bar and the food for the evening. I told them they didn’t have to, but they’ll be over in a bit.”

Koushi looks at Daichi. “Dai, you should’ve given Kiyoko away, really.”

“No", Daichi smirks back at him, "that’s Asahi’s job, he’s the one who looks old enough to be a father.”

Asahi jabs him.

“Guys!”, Yachi bursts out. She is staring at something on her phone. “Hinata wants to say hello!”

Huh. Koushi catches Kiyoko’s eye again and tries to communicate how sorry he is that he has tears leaking from his corneas.

He feels slightly better when he sees that Hinata is also crying.

“Why are you wearing a suit?”, Tsukishima asks, frowning into the phone.

“I wanted to be part of the wedding, too! I rented it.” His voice crackles slightly with static.

“But you’re at the beach?”

“So?”

“Is that a volleyball game going on behind you?”, Tanaka laughs.

“Maybe.” There is a guilty look on Hinata’s face that is so hauntingly familiar, and Koushi is reminded of too-early mornings in the gym, of secret ice cream trips at training camps, of pranks that accidentally hit the wrong target.

“Wait, is that Hinata?!”, Nishinoya bursts out as he appears through the crowd, launching himself straight into the center of their small congregation.

“Nishinoya!”

“You two both need to come back home”, Tanaka lectures, to Nishinoya and to the screen, with a shake of his head. “I miss you guys.”

Nishinoya hugs him so tight that Koushi is afraid he will cut off Tanaka’s circulation and poor Kiyoko will spend her first night of marriage at the hospital waiting for her husband to regain the feeling in his fingers and toes.

She doesn’t seem alarmed, though. If anything, she is smiling an amused smile. The only thing off with the image are the tear tracks running down her cheeks.

And Koushi finds that, when he touches his own, they too are warm and wet.

*

Once the cheers have died down, a single voice rings out, uncharacteristically quiet.

“You know that thing I said I needed to tell you guys before? Well, I… I’m leaving. I’m going traveling.”

Tanaka is the first to react.

“What?!”, he explodes, leaping to his feet and staring down at his best friend.

Nishinoya sighs and leans forwards on his hands. He is oddly solemn, for once. Or perhaps not so oddly, given the news he is sharing. “Not right now, obviously. But in a couple of weeks.”

Tadashi glances up and down the row. Tsukki meets his eyes and gives him a bewildered look, one that says he had no idea about this, either. The others- most of what he thought of as the former Karasuno squad, minus Yachi, who had been caught up helping her mother with something- all appeared as shocked as he felt, with one exception: Asahi. The bearded man seemed upset yet not exactly surprised.

That figured, Tadashi supposed. If Nishinoya had told anybody about this, it would have been Asahi.

“Well, what a time to drop a bombshell on us, huh, Noya?”, Daichi says with a sigh. His reaction is one that Tadashi is familiar with; exasperated, yet not upset or angered.

“Didn’t you know?”, Sugawara jokes, and only Sugawara would have it in him to joke like that, “Our group can only make important announcements at volleyball games. Otherwise, they’re void.”

Daichi fixes him with a look, and he wilts slightly.

“It’s Kageyama’s first game home”, Tadashi hears Ennoshita whisper, and he glances to the side.

It wasn’t Kageyama’s first game as a pro player, far from it. Tadashi, Tsukki, Yachi, Nishinoya and Asahi had made the journey to watch his actual first game, in Osaka, but this game in Sendai was the first chance the others had had to go watch him.

“What do you mean, you’re leaving?”, Tanaka demands, and Tadashi looks back around at the scene in front of him. Tanaka’s fists are balled. Kiyoko goes to hold his shoulder and he shakes her off.

Nishinoya is staring up at his friend impassively. “It’s what I said, Ryu. I already told you I wanted to go traveling.”

“No, I got that, but- Now?”

Noya blinks. “Why wait?”

There is a long, awkward silence. Tadashi's fingers find their way onto the sleeves of Tsukki’s coat and he clutches down, seeking comfort. Tsukki doesn’t acknowledge him in any way, but he also doesn’t draw back.

Sugawara is, again, the one to break the silence. He steps forward, around Kiyoko and Tanaka, and pulls Nishinoya into a hug. “I’m going to miss you, you gremlin.”

“Me too.” Daichi exhales. “Sorry, Noya, I’m really happy for you, I am, I’m just… Surprised.” He looks around and Tadashi realizes with a jolt that half of the stadium is already empty: All of the spectators are pouring out of the exits in steady streams. “Let’s talk outside.”

They leave their seats. Tadashi looks at Tsukki, trying to gauge how he’s feeling, but his expression is unreadable. He exchanges a stunned glance with Sugawara.

Somewhere among the crowds they split into two groups; Sugawara, Kiyoko, Ennoshita, Tanaka and Nishinoya break away and Tadashi loses sight of them. He grabs onto Tsukki's wrist again so that they don’t get separated, and he feels a hand clamp onto his coat. When he swivels around, he sees Daichi standing behind him, with Asahi to his right. The four of them shuffle through the lines together.

By the time they get outside to the others, the emotions-fest is in full swing.

Tanaka and Noya are holding onto each other, sobbing, and Sugawara is also crying quietly to the side.

“Sugawara?”, Asahi asks, and when the trainee teacher looks at him, he holds out a tissue.

“Thanks.” Sugawara takes it and blows his nose. “I’m fine. I was already emotional seeing Kageyama play, and now this…”

Any other words he might have spoken are drowned out by Tanaka.

“I’m going to miss you so much, bro.”

“I’m going to miss you, too”, Nishinoya replies, unusually somber as he stares over Tanaka’s shoulder, although his eyes are fierce. “But I won’t be gone forever.”

“Do you have plans as to when you’ll come back?”, Daichi asks.

“Not really. I think I’m just going to go around Asia and Europe for a while. Maybe Australasia, too. I saved up some money, so I suppose when that runs out.”

Tanaka finally withdraws himself and immediately turns and buries himself in Tsukki's shoulder. Tsukki tries to shake him off.

“Get off me.”

Tanaka doesn’t respond.

Ennoshita is the next to step forward and embraces Nishinoya in a rush, practically sweeping him up off of his feet. “You need to call us. At least every other week. Okay?”

“I’ll try.”

He pats Nishinoya’s arms when he steps away.

Surprisingly, Kiyoko is the next one to move in for a hug, and Tadashi sees that she is struggling to hold back tears. “I’m going to miss you.”

And that’s when Noya breaks, his face crumpling. He buries it in Kiyoko’s shoulder, and Tadashi doesn’t catch what he says back to her, although he thinks he hears Tanaka’s name.

Tadashi feels his own eyes growing hot with tears and he blinks, trying to will them back inside. His throat is still hoarse from screaming at the match and he felt emotionally drained, as Sugawara had commented, even before all of this talk about Nishinoya.

Glancing to the side, he spots that Tsukki isn’t much better off than he is: The blond is glassy-eyed, chewing on his lower lip. His glasses are steaming up slightly and his face is red.

Tadashi's sorrow vanishes instantly. “Tsukki, are you going to cry?” He can’t quite keep the giggle out of his voice.

“No, I’m not. It’s just cold out here.”

Noya approaches so swiftly that Tadashi doesn’t even notice him coming until he leaps up to hug at Tsukki, ruffling his hair. He seems to have gotten over his brief anguish, for his face is plastered with a huge smile. “Aww, I know my little bro will miss me really.”

“No”, Tsukki makes a vain attempt to shove him off. “And I think _you’re_ the little bro here.”

“Are you admitting you’re bros?”, Tanaka asks. His face is still stained with tears, but his eyes are clear and his shoulders relaxed.

“ _No_ ”, Tsukki spits again, finally wrestling free of Nishinoya’s grasp, and he looks so irritated that they all can’t help laughing, a joint hysterical laugh that echoes in the evening air and has other groups loitering nearby turning to stare in their direction.

The stares quickly turn elsewhere, however, as a broad-shouldered young man strides towards them.

“Hey.” Kageyama raises one hand in greeting, and then pauses when the others freeze mid-laugh. “What’s going on?” His eyes widen and then narrow in suspicion.

There is a drawn-out silence in which nobody seems inclined to answer, and then it is disrupted as Sugawara blows his nose again.

They all laugh even harder as Kageyama frowns.

*

The evening was passing in a flurry, far too quickly.

Ryuunosuke finds himself dragging Kiyoko into a corner to sit down for a quiet moment, a refuge from the festivities. He feels on top of the world; he feels breathless, exhausted.

Kiyoko looks as perfect as always, her hair arranged in an elaborate updo, but her eyes are as tired as he feels. Ryuunosuke prays that no one will spot them there until they’re ready to come back out.

Once they’re settled, sitting on the cool alcove of the windowsill looking out over the gardens of the building, Ryuunosuke squeezes her warm hand and asks; “How are you holding up?”

“I’m good.” His wife manages a minuscule smile, a couple of teeth threatening to peek through. “What about you?”

“I…” He laughs. “Don’t really know how I feel. I think my emotions have been put on hold and they’re all going to catch up with me later.”

Kiyoko chuckles and squeezes his hand back. Then, she lifts up her skirt and waves it slightly.

“What are you doing?”, Ryuunosuke guffaws.

“My legs are hot. This dress is too much.” Frowning, she gathers the material up in her lap and leans down to rub one hand over her calf, brushing across all of the scars there. Ryuunosuke's mouth runs dry. He knows how much she hates showing them, even to him. It’s something she has been getting better with, but there is still a reluctance there; it is only this past Summer that he has seen her wearing shorts, and then only on the hottest days.

“You’re beautiful”, he blurts out without thinking, because she is and he wants to tell her all the time and have her believe it.

She’s even more beautiful when she drops the skirt of her dress back down and laughs at him, shaking her head so that strands of silky dark hair fall about her smiling face.

There are footsteps, and Ryuunosuke hopes that it’s not Sugawara coming to try and convince them to do shots with him again.

“Sorry to interrupt, really.” Ryuunosuke squints, and it takes him a moment to make out the face hovering in the dark of the corridor. Yamamoto. “I wanted to say congratulations before I go.”

Ryuunosuke stands, dropping Kiyoko’s hand, and hugs his old rival. They’ve both come a long way since the days they competed over Kiyoko, and Yamamoto’s advice has helped him on multiple occasions through the years, so it is with real sadness that he asks; “You’re leaving already?”

“It’s a long way back to Tokyo.” Yamamoto chuckles as he leans back from Ryuunosuke's arms. “Shouhei is waiting outside. Next time you guys are in town, let me know. We’ll meet up.” He looks down at Kiyoko. “I’m glad I came today, though. It’s been beautiful.”

Kiyoko also stands and hugs him tightly before he goes.

Ryuunosuke and Kiyoko watch him walk away down the corridor, and then look at each other in silence for a minute before they link hands and make their way back into the hall where their friends are gathered.

The dancefloor is busier now. Ryuunosuke spots Sugawara and Yamaguchi enthusiastically dancing next to a rather stiff-looking Daichi, and Asahi and Noya laughing together as they attempt to copy his movements.

A tug at his hand has Ryuunosuke turning to Kiyoko, and she inclines her head towards the corner nearest to them. Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita are seated at a table, drinking quietly as they also take in what is going on.

“Hey, you guys”, Kiyoko greets with a wave of her hand.

Ryuunosuke asks; “What’s going on?”

“We’re watching the second years”, Narita hums thoughtfully and tilts his head. “Well, old, old, old... Or is it old, old, old, old... However many old second years.”

“Yamaguchi is drunk”, says Kinoshita. “Tsukishima is… Being Tsukishima. Yachi is face-timing Hinata and Kageyama is sad.”

Suddenly worried that his friends aren’t having fun, Ryuunosuke cranes his neck to spot his juniors. “Are they okay? Should I go over there?” He spies Tsukishima reclining at a table on the other side of the dance floor, but he doesn’t look particularly upset, although he is sitting by himself. “I can see Tsukishima is alone. Where are the others?”

“They're all fine”, Ennoshita assures him. “Also, Hinata isn’t here and Kageyama is sulking, so I’m fairly certain this is Tsukishima’s ideal party.”

“You two must be tired.” Narita casts them a sympathetic glance. “Sit down.”

“Drag up a chair!” Kinoshita pats the empty seat beside him. “And quick, have a drink before a relative pulls you away.”

Maybe they didn’t need to sneak off by themselves to find a calm corner. Ryuunosuke takes the seat next to Kinoshita, and Kiyoko sinks into the chair beside him and, in unison, they take deep breaths. Ennoshita slides a bottle across to them and they each take a sip.

*

After their loss, the third years change quickly and quietly. Ryuunosuke keeps his head down to hide his tears. Holding them in on the court had been surprisingly easy; yet, faced with his team around him and the familiarity of the locker room, the knowledge that he is about to lose all of this feels like a punch in the gut.

He leaves before anyone else, making it out into the corridor before he slumps against the wall, his head in his arms.

It is mere seconds until Ennoshita joins him. Of course he did: This year, especially, they had gotten closer, and Ryuunosuke has come to rely on his captain for emotional support that he had not even known he had needed previously.

“Hey”, Ennoshita says, the way he always does after a loss. “It’s not your fault, you know.”

“I know. It’s never anyone’s fault, really.” Ryuunosuke lets out a shuddering sigh. “It just fucking sucks.”

“Yeah, it does.” Ennoshita blows out a long jet of air, all comforting soundbites forgotten. “It really fucking sucks.”

Ryuunosuke drops his arms. “I’m not even sad about losing, really. I am, but it was gonna happen eventually. I knew it, somehow. Only one team wins it all, right?” Ennoshita nods, and he continues. “So, even though we’re good enough to do it, I know the chance is small. There were always gonna be other teams just as good and a bit luckier than us. But what really sucks is that this is it, you know?”

“I know.”

They sit in silence for a long time. Ennoshita’s face is trickling with sweat and it’s disgusting, and his hair is flat against his forehead. Ryuunosuke wonders how he looks. Probably just as gross. He wipes his face with his jersey.

“Tanaka.”

Letting the fabric of his shirt drift back down into place, Ryuunosuke looks up to see Kiyoko, Daichi, and Sugawara approaching, dressed in casual clothes. Their cheeks are pink- they must have just come in from outside- and sparkling with tears.

“You guys were amazing out there!”, Sugawara bursts out. He raises his fists in front of him, a wide grin splitting his face.

“You were”, Kiyoko agrees, far calmer. She stands in front of Ryuunosuke and her voice drops. “It must hurt really bad right now.”

“Yeah.” He manages a weak laugh and rubs at his eyes, and then takes the hand she offers him and pulls himself up. They have also become closer lately, to the point where Ryuunosuke is, for the first time, actually allowing himself to have hope for a real relationship. Now that he understands more about Kiyoko. Now that she understands more about him. “This is just… This is it.”

“No, it’s not”, she replies firmly. “There will always be more opportunities for you, if you want to keep playing. Even if it’s just for fun.”

Ennoshita also stands beside them, and he catches Ryuunosuke's eye before taking a step back and letting out a low whistle. “You know what’s funny? A couple of years ago I was thinking about quitting volleyball, and now I can’t even imagine life without it.”

Grinning, Daichi leans forward and smoothes his hair, just once, with his right palm. “Good. I’m really proud of you, captain.”

Ryuunosuke can’t help but cackle when he sees Ennoshita welling up, only to find that his own eyes are also getting teary when he blinks and the world blurs.

“Shit”, he hisses, attempting to pull the sleeve of his jersey around to use as a tissue. Kiyoko is smiling right in front of him and he can’t even see her to enjoy it, what injustice.

He hears Ennoshita’s deep chuckles, and then he’s blinking through his tears at his friend and captain who had lead them so far, and then the two of them are doubling over in laughter while they cry.

Just then the door goes swinging open and the second years appear. Well, Hinata, Yamaguchi and Yachi.

“Kiyoko!” Yachi sprints over and Ryuunosuke smiles softly at them as they hug, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes.

Yamaguchi and Hinata greet Sugawara and Daichi with a polite reverence, unlike anything Ryuunosuke saw them show their seniors last year.

“Hey, Yamaguchi. I love the haircut”, Sugawara says.

“Thank you!” Yamaguchi’s face lights up, and he is practically bouncing on the spot, shuffling from one foot to the other. “Takeda and Ukai said we’re all going to get food. Want to come?”

Kiyoko inclines her head. “If that’s okay.”

Ryuunosuke nods. “Of course it is!”

“Alright, then.” Daichi puts his hands on his hips and looks around. “Are the others still changing?”

“Noya went to the bathroom with Kinoshita to wipe their faces. I think Narita was meditating or something.” Face twisting, Ennoshita sighs. “Either that, or he was so stressed he was trying to sleep.”

Snickering as though he simply couldn’t stop himself, Hinata shares; “Tsukishima and Kageyama are actually sulking together: Like, right next to each other, commiserating together. It’s kind of hilarious. They still won’t look each other in the eye.”

Sugawara squints at the second years. “You know, you guys don’t seem as down as I thought you’d be.”

“Oh, no, we’re heartbroken”, Yamaguchi announces, his voice almost but not quite verging on a sarcastic tone that reminds Ryuunosuke of Tsukishima. He is smiling, though.

“We just have to get ready for next year!” Hinata clenches his fists, the fiery look back in his, only to turn to meet Ryuunosuke's gaze. Ryuunosuke watches as he momentarily deflates. “And… You guys will still be there to cheer us on, right?”

“Of course we will.” Ennoshita ruffles Yamaguchi’s hair, and the younger ducks away. “You need to make us proud next year, too.”

Hinata’s eyes are shining bright. “We will. I promise!”

Nodding just as enthusiastically as the boys, Yachi bursts out; “We’ll make you proud!” She does an odd, half-formal bow. “I’ll go round up the first years.”

The way she carries herself as she walks away is more authoritative than he has ever seen her, and Ryuunosuke finds himself swapping looks with Kiyoko. If he isn’t mistaken, Kiyoko is amused, from the tiny curve in her lips. Allowing his face to crack into a grin, Ryuunosuke revels in that she is sharing her amusement with him; that despite their terrible loss he doesn’t feel so heartbroken as he thought he would; that he is proud of himself and how far he has come, and of his friends as well.

*

“This is actually the first Japanese wedding I’ve ever been to, you know.”

“No?”

“Yeah. Third wedding overall. I got invited to one in Thailand, this guy I was working at a hostel with was getting married. They had a big beach party. And then I accidentally wandered into a wedding in Estonia.”

“How do you even wander into a wedding?”

“It was in a field! I was just going for a walk in the countryside, taking some photos, when I saw a group of people and went to see what was going on. They were really nice about it, though.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Nishinoya twists to look at Asahi, his lips quirking in a smile. He opens his mouth as though to refute Asahi’s words, breath billowing in a cloud, and then thinks better of it, gravel grating beneath his feet as he shifts to look forward once more.

It had been too hot inside, so Noya had propped open one of the doors to the reception hall, and then invited Asahi to join him in stepping out into the evening air.

Asahi wonders why it was always weddings and parties where these kind of things happen: When you step outside and are met with a crisp atmosphere, and the talk is just as refreshing.

“I actually designed this outfit”, he says, changing the subject and indicating his dark velvety suit.

“No way! That’s so cool!” Noya grins. “You’re so talented, Asahi! Don’t forget us when you’re some big-shot designer.”

“I’m really not.” Asahi chuckles, embarrassed. He feels almost shy all of a sudden, in a way he hasn’t since high school. “And I doubt I’ll be a big-shot designer, Noya.”

“You always undervalue yourself, come on. You’re in Tokyo!”

“And you’re in America!” Asahi’s voice echoes and he cringes. The music from behind them changes to something faster-paced than the slow song they had escaped from before and comes muffled through the open doorway. There is a rectangle of light spilling over, and it falls across half of Nishinoya’s face.

Noya looks down. “Actually, I was planning to fly back out to somewhere in Europe and make my way around there. There’s this work-travel scheme I was thinking of doing for a while.”

“When are you actually coming back?” Silence. “Are you coming back?”

Noya shrugs and doesn’t respond. Asahi sighs and looks out across the carpark in front of them. A small group, some relatives he doesn’t know, are smoking together by one of their cars, the light from the cigarettes glowing intermittently like fireflies. The bushes around the edges rustle slightly with the wind.

“I like your hair like this.” Asahi sees that Nishinoya is finally looking up, watching him. “And your glasses. It’s like… A whole new you.”

He reaches out to touch Asahi’s hair, letting his fingers brush across the strands hanging loose over Asahi’s shoulder. Asahi feels his cheeks heating slightly. Noya’s hands are still small, far smaller than his own.

Nishinoya snatches them away when they hear Daichi’s voice yelling; “There you guys are! We were looking for you!”

They swivel to find Daichi and Sugawara emerging from within the hall. Sugawara is swaying slightly and Daichi is very red and talking slightly louder than normal: The tell-tale signs, Asahi has learned, that they are on their way to drunkenness.

“Hi.” Nishinoya half-catches Sugawara as Sugawara flops down beside him.

Asahi blinks. “What were you looking for us for?”

Daichi shrugs and settles beside him. “We just wanted to say hi.”

“And I needed a break”, Sugawara grumbles, sinking his chin onto his fists and pouting like a child. “Our room is in between some of the kouhais’. Er, old kouhais. If I have to hear Yamaguchi yelling ‘Tsukki’ one more time, I am going to lose it.”

They all burst out laughing. Asahi goes red and Daichi groans and hides his face.

“Oh, no…”, Noya gasps in between chuckles.

“Hey, guys!”

They all jump at Yamaguchi’s voice. He’s leaning out the door, his face sweaty.

“Yep?” Sugawara hops to his feet, and Daichi and Noya jump up next to him, all three of them stifling laughter. “Yes?” He drops his voice lower, feigning at being casual. “How can we help you, Yamaguchi?”

Yamaguchi is silent for a moment, looking over his seniors. He raises an eyebrow. “Tanaka and Kiyoko are going in about twenty minutes. Saeko sent me to find you, so you can say goodbye.”

Asahi slowly gets to his feet and they all head over towards the door. Yamaguchi continues to stand in the doorway, watching them as they approach with a confused expression on his face. 

Daichi stops just in front of Yamaguchi and puts a hand on his shoulder, and Yamaguchi looks as confused as Asahi feels.

“Yamaguchi…”

“Yes?” His face is terrified, and Asahi pities him.

“Yamaguchi, I’m proud of you, you know that right?”

“Erm…” Yamaguchi coughs a little. “Yes?”

Somewhere behind him, Sugawara and Nishinoya are clinging to each other and screaming with laughter. Asahi bites his lip and gives Yamaguchi a small smile as Daichi nods, mock-seriously.

Yamaguchi’s face contorts across a whole spectrum of emotions as the older men push past him on their way inside the stuffy hall.

*

Noya wonders what they look like, the six of them all carrying a box each on the train.

“We could’ve rented a van”, Daichi comments, hugging the cardboard to his lap.

“Hm. But I’ve heard driving in Tokyo is a nightmare”, counters Kiyoko.

He shrugs.

There is a familiar yell that has Nishinoya biting at his lip to stop from laughing. They don’t get to hear that shout very often, but when they do it makes an impact.

Yamaguchi dashes on board. His hair is all fly away, and he is panting. He pauses to lean on his legs before he turns and holds the door. Tsukishima appears moments after, and Yamaguchi allows the doors to close behind him.

“I didn’t think you guys were going to make it!”, Tanaka blurts out. He is carrying the largest of the moving boxes, had insisted on doing so, so he cranes his neck to be able to speak around it.

Tsukishima deadpans; “Neither did we.”

Yamaguchi taps his arm. “We were trying to find your compartment.”

The train is fairly busy, and Nishinoya knows that it will only get busier the closer they get to the capital; however, it’s not yet so overly busy that they would have to stand. They manage to find a cluster of seats in close proximity to each other. He eases himself down carefully: For some reason, they had given him the box with cutlery in it, and he can hear mugs and glasses clinking with each movement.

“Thank you, guys, for doing this”, Asahi says, his voice coming out muffled. “You didn’t have to.”

“It’s no problem, Asahi.” Nishinoya catches a glimpse of a slither of Tanaka’s face, turned to the side where the box is pressing him flat against the seat. “It’s always good to have an excuse to go to Tokyo. While you’re settling in, I think our plan is to meet up with a few old friends.” He grins.

Tsukishima groans. “Oh, no.”

“Don’t worry, Kuroo said he’s busy”, Daichi consoles him. “He won’t be there.”

“That’s exactly the kind of thing he’d say before he shows up.”

“Yeah, but Yamamoto will be there”, Tanaka points out. “And Fukunaga and Kenma. I think Lev, too.”

“Did you want us to stay and help you unpack first, Asahi?”, Kiyoko asks considerately.

Nishinoya snorts. “Why doesn’t he just come out with us and unpack later?”

Asahi rubs at the back of his head; almost drops his box; frantically clutches it back to his chest while Sugawara snickers in the seat next to him. “Ah- I kind of wanted to get settled in first. It’s not that I don’t want to see everyone, but I can see them whenever once I’m all moved in.”

“And we’ll come and visit you all the time!” Sugawara punches his shoulder and nearly sends the box flying again. “We’ll drag the first years too!”

“Second years, now.”

Noya winks at Tanaka. “Thanks, vice-captain.”

“Tanaka, you had better live up to how awesome I made that role”, Sugawara teases, and Nishinoya can’t help but think that, even though he has been so focused today on how it is Asahi leaving, Asahi that he is losing, Suga and Daichi and Kiyoko will also be drifting away from them. No more of Sugawara supporting his and Tanaka’s antics, no more reliable Daichi, no more Kiyoko encouraging them at their lowest points.

He zones back in, in time to hear Daichi ask; “What are you talking about?”

Sugawara pouts at him.

“How come our dear captain couldn’t come?”, Tsukishima inquires. Yamaguchi taps his arm again, shooting him a look, and Noya thinks for the first time that Yamaguchi might make a good captain in the future.

“He’s working on one of his film projects”, Noya tells him. “Apparently, he’s roped Hinata and Kageyama and Yachi into helping him. I didn’t really ask.”

They fall silent as the train thrums. The journey is long, and Nishinoya finds himself falling asleep against Daichi’s shoulder. When he awakens again, the sun is much higher in the sky. Daichi is also apparently asleep if the gentle snoring in his ear is anything to go by. Yamaguchi, Tsukishima, Tanaka, and Kiyoko are playing a game of cards; Sugawara is staring pensively out of the window, and Asahi is clutching at his things, his legs jiggling on either side of the backpack planted at his feet.

Without thinking, Noya reaches out to grab his knee. “Are you nervous?”

“Yes. How could you tell?”

He laughs and leans back. “It’s okay. This is a scary thing to do, moving away by yourself. I think it’s brave of you.”

Asahi arches his brows. “Aren’t you planning to go and travel the world?”

“Yeah, but that’s just-” Noya laughs once more. “I can come back anytime. I’m trying not to see it as a big thing. That’s what you need to do too, Asahi. It’s a step, but whether it’s just a big step or a small step depends on how you see it and what you make of it, remember?”

Asahi’s legs stop jumping, and he sighs.

“When you’re scared, remember all the scary things you’ve done before”, he continues. “You did those, and you can do this.”

“You’ve got this, Asahi.” Daichi’s quiet voice makes Noya jump slightly, and he glances around to see their former captain smiling the calm, certain smile that usually put Noya’s few nerves at rest. Sugawara is still staring out of the window, eyes far away.

Asahi nods. “Thank you.”

“And, as Noya said, it’s not like you can come back if you need to.”

“Okay. Thanks, guys.” Asahi loops his arms loosely around his box and meets Nishinoya’s gaze.

Noya is scared, momentarily. Will Asahi really be okay without them? Without him? And then he shakes himself. Asahi is a grown man, and he’s the strongest person Noya knows, without a doubt. He will be more than fine. In a few years, they will laugh over the idea that Noya was worried about him.

*

Waving Tanaka and Kiyoko off had induced a lot of tears. Yachi in particular had cried on Kiyoko’s shoulder, then cried even harder when she saw she had got some of her makeup on Kiyoko’s dress, but then Nishinoya- ever the excellent best man- whisked her off to dance. She had drunk quite a bit, hence the tears. Tobio is momentarily worried he may have to help her home, but then he remembers she lives close to Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, so they’re probably her best bet.

Taking another sip of his drink, he glances across at his two old friends, sitting side by side on the other end of the table.

Yamaguchi’s eyes flicker up to meet his own. He points a finger in his direction. “Kageyama, are you still sulking?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“You know”, Tsukishima folds his arms and tilts his head back, and Tobio just knows he’s not going to like whatever is about to come out of his mouth, “you could have at least tried to act happy for Kiyoko and Tanaka.”

“I was happy for them”, he protests. He scowls into his drink. “I said congratulations.”

“Well, why are you still moping then?”

“I said, I’m not. Can’t I just drink and relax for a minute?”

“Knock it off, you two”, Yamaguchi mimes knocking their heads together as he speaks, and then giggles. “I thought you were getting along better now.”

Tsukishima sighs. “You know us, Yamaguchi. We never get along.” But Tobio spies that his lips are twitching against a small smile, and he can’t help grinning a little, too. This is just the way they’ve always been and the way they always will be; there was no changing it apparently, as much as some of their friends might try.

Yamaguchi makes a face at them, then sits up straight.

“I know! If Tsukishima makes it pro, you guys can go up against each other.”

Snorting, Tsukishima shakes his head. His hair- longer now than it has ever been- threatens to fall into his eyes. “I’ll never make it in the big leagues.”

“You’re trying out with the Frogs next week. They scouted you from the college team.” Yamaguchi touches Tsukishima’s arm with a smile so sweet Tobio looks away briefly, feeling as though his neck is moving mechanically, all gears grinding together. “They must have seen something there.”

“Well, maybe.” Tsukishima also glances away, and Yamaguchi pulls his hand back. “If I don’t, maybe we can have a go with the neighborhood association team one time. It’d be interesting to see who comes out on top.”

“Hmm”, Yamaguchi pretends to consider. “If we’d have you guys.”

They both look at him and he bursts out laughing, almost doubling over as he begins to hiccup.

“Hey, what are you laughing about?”

Tobio turns to see Yachi hovering by his shoulder, having appeared from the dance floor. Her hair is matted, and her eyes are dark with smudged mascara, yet she is smiling as her eyes rove over her friends with curiosity.

He shrugs. “Nothing much.”

“I told them we wouldn’t want them on the neighborhood team”, Yamaguchi explains.

Yachi sinks into the chair beside Tobio. “I think they’d be too scared to play against Kageyama, even in a friendly match. Actually, maybe Tsukishima, too.” She pauses to wipe at her forehead with the back of one hand. “Does anyone have a drink? I’m sweating.”

Tsukishima slides a glass across to her and she takes a sip, then makes a face at him.

“Kahlua and milk?”

He smiles, a wolfish smile that makes Tobio think of Kuroo, the last time he had seen him in a meeting about the promotion for the Olympics. “It’s good.”

“Here.” Yamaguchi holds his own glass out. “It’s just lemonade.”

“You square”, Tobio mutters.

“Gotta be the responsible captain.”

“Thanks.” Yachi takes a long drink and then passes it back.

Tobio gazes out across the dance floor. Ever since the happy couple left, the music had slowed slightly, growing slightly sadder in tone; all of the classical party songs had been played hours ago. He wonders whether the DJ was attempting to encourage people to leave.

He sees a group of people he doesn’t know dancing, mostly relatives; among them are Akiteru and Saeko. The two of them do look rather sweet together, he has to admit, Akiteru gazing adoringly at his girlfriend as they sway together, arms locked about each others necks. 

A blur of movement behind them catchks his eye. As he watches, Nishinoya sprints through the crowd, being chased by Sugawara. They both look very drunk. Tsukishima snorts and Tobio glances around to see the others at the table are watching as well. Back across the floor, Nishinoya reaches a table where Daichi is sitting with Asahi, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita, and dives behind Daichi and Asahi for safety. Some bodies move in the way, blocking their view, as Sugawara approaches them, so they miss the outcome. Yachi gives a disappointed sigh.

A beeping noise has Tobio turning to his right. Yachi is digging in her small shoulder bag for something.

“Oh! It’s Hinata!”

She holds her phone out, and the screen is once more filled with Hinata’s grinning face. It zooms out slightly, to show that he is still wearing the dumb suit.

Tobio glances down at his own phone, under the table. No new messages. No calls.

“Kageyama!” Hinata’s voice has him looking back up. “Stop being so grumpy! Smile!”

“I’m not grumpy”, he insists.

“Smile”, Hinata repeats, laughing when Tobio continues to frown at the screen.

Yachi hands the phone over. “Here, I’ll let you talk.”

“What?” Tobio face creases. “Ya-”

She’s gone.

With a sigh, Tobio faces his fate and looks at the tiny Hinata, who is staring at him expectantly. His head is tilted, confused. The sun is shining down on him, making his hair glow even brighter than normal.

“What time is it there?”, Tobio asks eventually. It’s the first thing he can think of to say.

“Midday. We’re like, a whole half a day behind you guys. I was so excited, I got up at 4 am.” His voice comes crackly across the distance, but there’s no doubt that it’s Hinata: His enthusiasm is unique, something entirely his own.

“Is that why you’re all dressed up?”

“This?” Hinata glances downward, as if he has only just noticed what he is wearing. “Oh, no, I went and got this the other day. I’m glad I did- you guys are all dressed up, too! You all look so good!” He laughs and the sound is slightly fuzzy, not quite right. “I wish I could be there with you.”

Tobio feels his features smooth. “I wish you were here, too”, he replies honestly. “It’s not as fun without you.”

“I’ll be back before you know it. And when I come back, I’ll kick your ass for being so miserable.”

Something in Tobio stirs, and for the first time that evening the clouds inside of him clear slightly. Hinata would come back. The rival he had waited for, and continued to wait for.

He grins a steely grin. “I’m looking forward to it, but you’re the one whose ass is going to be kicked.”

Hinata laughs again, the sound crystalline this time. He narrows his eyes and peers around all of a sudden.

“Hey, is Tsukishima there? Buy him a Kahlua on me and tell him to stop being such an asshole.”

“I’ll make sure he gets the message.”

Then Yachi is pulling him up to dance, so he waves to Hinata and passes the phone to Yamaguchi. She’s a little uncoordinated, so he holds onto her arm to steady her, swaying awkwardly, and then several of their other friends are joining them. Daichi and Sugawara are spinning together, their heads thrown back in laughter. Nishinoya, Ennoshita, Narita and Kinoshita are all in a group, having shed their suit jackets, and as Tobio watches they shepherd Asahi and Yamaguchi in to join them. He catches Tsukishima smirking as he stares at them, only for the smirk to be wiped off his face when Akiteru and Saeko drag him up with them.

The night passes quickly, then, and although Tobio still feels lonely when he collapses onto his hotel room bed that night, his chest is warm, his mind racing as he thinks of his friends and the futures that await them.

*

Sugawara and Daichi had arrived late that night, Tobio recalls.

“Sorry”, Sugawara waves at them with one hand, slightly red-faced. “I had to pick this guy up after work.”

“Sorry”, Daichi echoes when they take their seats at the table. He turns to the boy seated directly across from him. “Sorry, Hinata.”

Smiling, Hinata waves one hand. “Don’t mind, don’t mind.”

Tobio rolls his eyes. Of course, he would use that phrase in a completely casual setting. He snickers when Hinata elbows him. 

“Well, now that we’re all here”, Yamaguchi begins pleasantly, and Tobio catches Suga sticking his tongue out at him, down the other end of the table. “Let’s eat!”

“Finally”, Tanaka mutters. He already has a rice ball in one hand. “What, I’m starving!”, he cries at the look Ennoshita shoots him.

Tobio sees their first and second years all throwing glances at their former seniors. Their second-year libero is practically glued to Nishinoya’s side, asking him questions almost shyly even though they had been teammates for a year as well.

After they’ve eaten, Yachi stands up, clapping her hands together excitedly.

“So, there is actually a reason we’re all here today.”

“How did you guys all know it’s my birthday?”, one of the first years, a foul-mouthed little middle blocker named Hiroki, cries out, and Tsukishima clips him around the ear with one hand.

“ _No_ , we’re here to say goodbye to Hinata”, one of the other first-years barks back at him.

Tobio;s veins turn to ice. He looks at Hinata, the way his smile is frozen on his lips. He loves attention, usually, in the right context. But so far he has avoided all talk of Brazil whenever one of the others tried to bring it up in a sentimental context.

“We’re going to miss you a lot, Hinata”, Yachi continues, her voice and face soft.

“Here”, Hiroki mutters. He rustles around under the table and produces something wrapped in brown paper. “This is from us… All of us first years.”

Hinata finally finds his voice. “You guys didn’t- You really didn’t have to!”

“You don’t have to unwrap it now if you don’t want to”, Yamaguchi says.

Tsukishima rolls his eyes. “It’s a dumb gift anyway.”

“You ordered it for them!”

“They said they would pay me.” He eyes Hiroki again, and the boy cringes.

It’s a jersey, with the number 10 and ‘Little Giant’ on the back. Tobio wonders whether they had forgotten Udai Tenma’s name. Hinata hugs it to his chest and grins.

Tobio watches as, one by one, the gifts are turned over. One of the second years, whose family also runs a convenience store, gives him a small bottle of wine; the others gang together to get him a travel cologne set that didn’t look cheap. Noriko, their first-year manager, also gives him a pack of small Brazilian candies she got online. Ennoshita hands him a gift card to a sports clothing store that delivers internationally; Tanaka gifts him a new pair of sneakers; Nishinoya a bunch of travel gadgets, including things that Tobio wouldn’t even think of, household items like corkscrews and bottle openers. Kiyoko gives him a small leather-bound journal; Asahi several shirts with beach scenes and puns on them and a few athletic ones, too; Sugawara a large photo frame in black and orange; Daichi a money jar and a small compass with ‘Good luck’ engraved on it. Yamaguchi gives a dual-time watch, with the dials set to the time zones for Japan and the area of Brazil he will be living in; Tsukishima, after some prompting, hands him a small keychain, with a beach scene that flicks between daylight and night time- sun and moon- depending on the way you held it; Yachi gives Hinata a poster, of the five of them, the ones who have been there together from the beginning.

All eyes turn to Tobio. Including Hinata’s.

Those are the ones he chooses to meet as he stammers; “N- Nobody told me we were getting you anything.”

“Kageyama, I texted you”, Yachi hisses out of the corner of her mouth, and Tobio frowns, remembering blinking at her message early one morning when he woke up for school, before immediately putting it to the side as something he could deal with later, after they won their next match.

Hinata is pouting at him, although his eyes are glittering with amusement. “You shouldn’t have to have somebody tell you!”

“Yeah, nobody told us”, Narita puts in, indicating himself and Kinoshita.

“Nobody tells us anything.” Kinoshita sighs, and the others laugh.

The rest of the evening passes with a lot of laughter and jokes exchanged, most of them so familiar they feel like being wrapped up in a warm sweater. Slowly, the members of their group- their family- depart, one by one and two by two, until Hinata also announces he needs to head home to gather the last of his things and prepare for his flight tomorrow. Asides from Hinata and Tobio, only Narita, Kinoshita, Sugawara, and Daichi are left in the restaurant, and so Tobio stands to follow Hinata out. Nobody even raises an eyebrow.

It is dark outside, the sun completely vanished. The two of them head towards the parking lot. Tobio finds Hinata has parked his scooter next to Tobio's car because of course he has.

“I’m sorry”, he says as Hinata fiddles with the box on the back of the scooter, stashing his gifts away. “For not getting you a gift.” He pauses, jingling his car keys in one hand. “I can give you a ride to Tokyo in the morning if you like.”

He can’t, not really. He needs to get back to training for the team. Even taking one day off had been asking a lot. Still, he feels that he should at least offer.

“It’s fine!” Hinata clamps his helmet on his head and fiddles with the strap, swinging one leg over the bike. “I didn’t expect anything, really. And I’ve already got my train ticket: Bokuto is coming with me to the airport. Maybe Kenma, too, if he has the time.”

There is a pause, an unnatural one. The kind that Tobio is suddenly scared will creep into all of their conversations, whether face to face or over messages.

For perhaps the first time since Tobio had met him, Hinata is hesitating.

Tobio watches him as his trembling lips form silent words that threaten to spill over and then retreat back down his throat. He looks down at his hands, clutching the handles of the scooter, and lets them fall loosely into his lap.

He struggles for what can’t be more than a few seconds but feels like an eternity before he mumbles; “There is something you can do for me.”

Hinata looks up then, and his eyes are alight with excitement, but also with a kind of apprehension. The look he used to get before big games, the one that tipped Tobio and the others off that they were about to be treated to Hinata’s bathroom song as he dashed away to take refuge in the quiet of the stalls.

The irritation in his stomach stemmed from his nerves, Tobio knew. It was something Hinata had helped him realize over the years. “What is it?”, he snaps, harsher than intended but Hinata, used to it by now, simply smiles in the face of his short tone.

“Can you wait for me to come back?”

“What do you mean?”

Hinata rubs at the back of his head with one hand, and laughs a little when his fingers come into contact with hard plastic rather than overgrown strands of hair. “I’m… Not sure myself, really. I just want you to stay as my friend, and wait for me, because I will be back. A lot is changing; you know, Kiyoko and Tanaka are getting engaged, and a lot of our friends are going to college and getting jobs, and I’m going to the other side of the world. I’m really happy, but I’m kind of scared, too. I’ll feel better knowing that our friendship is still here. It… It’ll be something I can come back to.” He starts to choke up, his voice coming thick and cracked in places. “I don’t want you to change too much without me.”

Alarmed, Tobio blinks and rocks back on his heels. He exhales a deep sigh, which comes out in a small puffy cloud, pale and silvery against the darkness around them.

He is used to Hinata’s particular brand of selfishness at this point: That Hinata is asking him not to change, when his whole reason for leaving is to do so, is hypocritical, and normally Tobio would get angry. But he can’t bring himself to do so. Not now.

“We’ll still be friends when you come back.” He clears his throat. “And the others are changing, but we are, too. But… Even if we change… And things are different… We come from the same place. We… We came out of the concrete together.” Hinata laughs a little at that, a wet sound. “We’re a team, remember, idiot?”

We always will be, he wants to say, but there are things Tobio knows he can’t promise, and forever is just one of those things.

Hinata opens his mouth, closes it again, and then leaps off the bike to hug Tobio.

He’s warm and he smells citrusy from the cologne, almost like oranges, and Tobio wants to make a joke about that but it won’t come out around the lump in his throat. Before he can do anything other than link his arms around Hinata’s back, the smaller boy has dodged his grasp and hopped back onto the scooter.

“Thanks.” Hinata shuffles the bike back a few steps, away from Tobio, and his smile is as bold and uncompromising and Hinata-like as ever, his head tilted to one side. “I’ll see you when I’m back.”

“See you when you’re back”, Tobio chokes out, blinking rapidly. He gives what he hopes is a confident smile, and then watches as Hinata rides away into the night.

*

Tobio sighs in his sleep and, on the other side of the world, Shouyou smiles.

**Author's Note:**

> This took me a few weeks to write, and I really, really loved writing it! Now that the manga is coming to an end, I just wanted to look back on how far some of these characters had come, and their relationships, and it's made me feel so emotional. I hope someone out there enjoys reading it as much as I liked writing it.


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